Animal
by Hawk Sirius
Summary: Squad Seven's missions always seem to go wrong, and this one was no exception. While on a mission to obtain a mysterious scroll, Squad Seven finds themselves changed in ways that will change their lives forever.
1. Prologue

A flash of light blotted out Squad Seven's vision as they reached the object they were to retrieve: a small scroll with classified contents.

_What's going on here?!_

The light pulsated, and came together around the four, creating glowing white voids around them.

_The light seems to be almost... Tangible?_

The whiteness drew closer around them, solidifying and creating a cocoon-like prison, though the interior was still a white void.

_It's shrinking?!_

The shells grew smaller and harder, forming spheres around the ninja, squeezing them smaller and smaller.

_It's crushing us!_

The light outside the shell dimmed, and the room darkened to its original shadowed state.

_What's this tingling?_

The cocoons grew smaller in a short burst, constricting around their captives.

_I... I can't feel anything anymore!_

A sharp crack split the motionless air. A hairline fracture had appeared on one of the egg like shells.

_It... It's getting brighter...?_

More cracks and splintering sounds shattered the still air as more and more splits formed on the surface of the spheres before they finally collapsed into dust, releasing explosions of white dust and light.

_We're out!_

The motionless forms of the foursome suddenly spasmed, jerking and contorting before falling still once more.

_Something's... Not... Right... Darkness... Closing in..._

* * *

**Yes! I have a new story! This may not be updated very frequently, as I am working on my other two primary fanfics, but will be updated nonetheless.**

**This is dedicated to Sukki18, who requested I write this upon hearing of the idea.**

**Please let me know what you think!**

**~Hawk Sirius**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Kakashi's eyes cracked open, and he winced at the unexpected light. Forcing his eyes open again, he saw that he was in a small forest clearing, not the room where he'd been before blacking out.

_What happened...?_ He thought.

As he tried to stand, he realized something was... _Wrong_. Kakashi couldn't get out of his crouch, and his legs felt like they were in the wrong place.

Then he looked down.

_W-wolf paws?!_ He thought incredulously. _What...?_ He cut off the thought. _That light... The tingling... Was _that_ what had happened?_

With the new knowledge, Kakashi sat up unsteadily and looked around the clearing. A tiger-sized ginger tabby cat was half-curled around an oversized raven -about the size of a bald eagle- and a yellowish fox was slumped against a tree.

_What is going on here?!_

* * *

The first thing Sakura noticed when she woke up was that she was warm. Warmer than before the bizarre blackout.

The second was that there was something twitching on the ground behind her. And that she could feel it twitching.

Opening her eyes, Sakura saw a gigantic black bird huddled next to her, not quite touching. As she glanced around, she noticed her arms felt strange, as though she were laying awkwardly. When she stretched her arms, they didn't obey her. Sakura, puzzled, stretched out her arms in front of her.

_What-?_ She thought. In the place of her hands and arms were massive ginger cat's paws and forelegs.

Sitting up, Sakura took a better look around. Besides the dark-colored bird beside her, a fox lay against a tree at a strange angle, and a giant silvery-black wolf watched her from the other side of the tiny clearing with mismatched eyes.

One of stony gray, the other a foreboding crimson.

* * *

His first thought: _Ramen?_

His second thought: _What just happened...?_

His third thought: _Why do I feel so weird?_

Cracking open his eyes, Naruto noted that he was sprawled awkwardly against a tree.

And in front of his nose was a furry, gold-tinted fox paw.

He sat up abruptly with a yip, drawing the attention of the two other conscious beings nearby.

A giant ginger tabby cat with vivid green eyes was watching him, as was the massive silver wolf.

Naruto twisted, catching sight of a bushy tail behind him. _Wait... I'm a fox?!_

* * *

Sasuke felt... _Strange_. He had felt off ever since the initial burst of light in that room. And he wanted... No, _needed_, to know why.

So he opened his eyes.

He blinked. And blinked again. A furry orange wall obscured his vision, as did a long, sharp, pointed black object that moved as he turned his head to see around it.

Twisting around, Sasuke looked behind him... And suppressed a gasp. It was very unbecoming of an Uchiha do do such things, after all.

But he would have been fully justified, for where he should have seen his dark shirt, there were gleaming obsidian feathers.

_Hn... Who put a Genjutsu on me?_ He thought, activating his Sharingan. But the bizarre sight remained.

_Not... Not a Genjutsu? What's going on?_

Sasuke stretched an arm slightly, and instead, a black wing stretched out.

_Okay... Now I'm a bird... No big deal._

Shuffling into a sitting position, he took a better look around. The orange 'wall' was a giant orange tabby cat, who was staring across the clearing with vivid green eyes, seeming to have not yet noticed him.

Following the cat's gaze, Sasuke saw a massive silver-black wolf staring back with mismatched eyes. To the side, looking around in a confused manner, was a yellowish fox with startlingly blue eyes.

* * *

Kakashi almost laughed as he watched his three students' reactions as they awoke. Naruto somehow remaining nearly silent, Sakura's obliviousness, Sasuke's impassiveness.

Now they were a wolf, a fox, a cat, and a raven.

_Explaining this is gonna be painful..._

Pushing those thoughts aside, he called out, "Looks like everyone's finally awake."

Kakashi nearly chuckled as the three Genin snapped their heads towards him, eyes wide.

_This could be interesting. Very interesting._

* * *

**... I have never had a story get reviewed, favorited, and followed so quickly after posting... Thus, chapter 1 came out super fast! Thanks for the reviews and favorites and follows! I hope you guys enjoyed this!**

**~Hawk**


	3. Chapter 2

**Oh, by the way, I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The Genin stared at Kakashi.

He looked at them blankly.

"... Sensei?" Naruto said, breaking the silence.

Kakashi eye-smiled, which was a very strange sight to see on a wolf.

All three Genin started talking at once as their shock lifted.

"Sensei, do you know how-"

"What happened-"

"Where are we?"

"Was it that scroll that-"

"How on Earth did we-"

"QUIET DOWN!" Kakashi shouted over their exclamations. He looked each of them in the eye. "Now, one at a time, please."

Sakura spoke up, "Sensei, do you know how... This... Happened?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't know, but I have a theory. It's probably some sort of defense mechanism for protecting that scroll. Remember, it only happened once we were all in the room and about halfway to the scroll."

They pondered that for a moment. "What would happen if we tried to go back again? Would we be... _Zapped_... Like before? Or would we be unaffected?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi seemed to shrug. "I've no idea. It may be something triggered by pressure on the floor, walls, and/or ceiling. It may have even been simply an accident. A malfunction."

The three Genin exchanged glances. "So... What do we do now, Sensei?" Sasuke asked.

"Get used to the... Situation... And then decide what to do next."

"So basically, get used the being animals?" Sakura clarified. Kakashi nodded.

"Okay!" Naruto yelled exuberantly.

* * *

The four struggled to stand in their new bodies, shouting when they noticed something of note. All of them had improved hearing and vision, but only Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura had increased olfactory senses.

Kakashi was the first to successfully stand, and remain that way. It felt... Wrong... To be on all fours. Granted, it was somewhat exhilarating, being able to better understand what it was like for his Ninken.

Walking, however, was a completely different story.

* * *

Naruto and Sakura were also struggling, but were able to stand as well. Sakura was successfully able to take several steps towards the edge of the clearing before collapsing from inexperience in the body. Naruto, too, was able to take a step or two, but then fell over and rolled down the short incline and bumped sharply into a small moss-covered rock pile.

He scrabbled around until he was rightside-up again, and leaned against the rocks as he tried to stand again, this time with more success.

Shooting a triumphant glance at Sakura, Naruto began his attempts at walking with renewed vigor.

* * *

Sasuke's experience may have been the most foreign out of all of them. He was still technically bipedal, yes, but still had to overcome the change in posture, among other things.

Walking was somewhat normal-ish, as he was not restricted to hopping as he had feared. However, Sasuke decided that he was not quite steady enough to try actual flight yet.

* * *

About four hours later, as the sky darkened and the shadows around the clearing grew deeper and longer, the four finally regrouped to rest. They had been practicing movement, and walking was no longer a challenge, as was running. Sasuke was able to figure out, to some extent, how to fly, but was for once cautious enough to not try very long distances.

So... What's the plan now, Sensei?" Sakura asked as they all sat/lay in a loose circle.

"We can search for that building again in the morning," Kakashi answered. "Now, though, we rest."

"... I'll take first watch." Sasuke volunteered. Kakashi shook his head. "No. You three have worked enough. I'll watch." He stood and slipped away into the trees, leaving no room for arguing.

"I guess that's that," Sakura said. The two boys nodded.

"Now... I guess we try to sleep," Naruto added.

* * *

Kakashi turned to look back at the three Genjn as they settled down to sleep.

_They've taken this much better than I expected,_ he thought. _Sakura especially. And it seems to have removed some of the rifts that prevented their teamwork. Maybe now they can be the team the Leaf needs them to be._

He turned his gaze back to the shadowy forest. He could see fairly well despite the fading light, a plus to the change.

Standing, Kakashi slowly made his way around the perimeter of the clearing, staying a few feet away from the moonlight that lit the open space with cool silver.

The night sounds rang with remarkable clarity, another 'gift' from being turned into a wolf. Crickets chirped from the grass that edged the clearing, and in the distance, a owl called, it's deep, familiar hoots a warning to smaller animals.

An hour later, a more worrying sound made an appearance. A resonating howl rang out through the cool air, silencing all other creatures in their singing and calling. It was followed by another, deeper, one, and then three more voices joined in. An eerie, haunting song.

A sign of danger.

If they were in the territory controlled by the pack he could hear calling, then the four of them could be in danger.

Trespassing in the territory of a wolf pack, even a small one, could be dangerous. If they couldn't fight, then they couldn't defend themselves. If they can't defend themselves, they may get killed.

Kakashi knew that he couldn't allow them to be caught by the pack.

He twisted around and darted back to the clearing to wake the sleeping Genin and get moving.

* * *

**So... That's a wrap! For the chapter, anyways. I hope you guys liked this!**

**~Hawk**


End file.
